Bridge-guard



(No M'Odel) W. G. DLT-JWMANI BRIDGE GUARD.

Patented Deo' 9 v .wv 4 ,wm mf #Yun-XVMAM mil/lid a M l M,

IVILLIAM CHARLES NEVIYIAN, OF CIIARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN.

BRIDGE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,133, dated December 9, 1890.

Application tiled July l0, 1890.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CHARLES r NEWMAN, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Charlevoix, in the county of Charlevoix and State ot' Michigan, have inventeda new and useful BridgeGuard, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to bridge-guards, and it may be described as being an improvement on the device for which Letters Patent ot' the United States No. 389,71t were granted to me on the 18th day of September, 1888.

My present invention consists in the iinproved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is aperspective viewof one of the approaches of a bridge embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ot' the draw. Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. l, but showing the gates or guards open and indicating in dotted lines the draw in position as closed.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

1 designates one ot the approaches ot a bridge, having an abutment Q, which may be of masonry or of any suitable material and construction.

Over the foot-walks 3 3 ot the approach are erected the gate-posts or supports, each of which is composed ot two inner and two outer posts, designated, respectively, by et and 5, and which are spanned by ineans of arches o' (i. Each foot-walk is thus virtually spanned by a double arch. Between the outer gate-posts 5 5 are pivoted the gate-levers 7, from which the gate-bars S are suspended by means of links tl. One ot the gate-levers is provided at its end with a metallic strap 10, the outer end of which forms a hook 11, which, when the gates are lowered, engages the end of the opposite gate-lever, thus locking the gate-levers securely together and enabling them to resist any strain to which in practice they are liable to be subjected. The gates are also braced and re-entoreed bythe inner gateposts 4 ,between which thcyswing, and which, as will be seen, will prevent them from being readily displaced by pressure from the side of Serial No. 358,306. (No model.)

the approach. The outerends of the gatelevers are provided with balance weights 12.

Each of the approaches of the bridge is provided with bearings 113 i'or a horizontal longitudinal shaft 1i, the outer end of, which is bent upwardly, so as to form an arm 15, at the upper end of whicha friction-roller 1G isjournaled. Said shaft is also provided with a casting 17, securely keyed thereon and torming oppositely-extending arms, the ends ot which are connected by chains 1S, passing over suitable guide-pulleys, with the outer ends of the gate-levers. The guide-pulleys to which I refer are located, respectively, at t-he corners of the abutment, where they are designated by 19, between the lower ends of the outer gate-posts 5, which for this purpose are extended downwardly below the footwalk, the pulleys here located being designated by 20, and between the outer guide posts at a short distance below the pivotal points of the gatelevers, the pulleys here located being designated by 21. It will be seen that by this arrangement the pulleys 2O and 2l and that portion of the chains which is between said pulleys is cased between the posts 5, and is thus protected and rendered less liable to become disarranged.

22 designates the draw, under the ends of which are arranged the cams 23, which taper slowly and gradually from their ends to the center, as will be plainly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The operation et this inventon will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the draw ings hereto annexed. "hen the draw is closed, the cams 23 at the ends of the draw engage the friction-rollers 1G at the ends ot the arms 15 of the rock-shafts ll, thereby holding the arms of the casting 1T in an approximately vertical position, at which they are caused to pull upon the chains 1S, and thereby holding the gates in au open or raised position. Then the draw is open, the cams 23 will gradually pass outot' engagement with the friction-rollers at the ends of the arms l5 of shafts 1t, thus permitting said shafts to turn in their bearings actuated by the gates which descend by gravity to a closed position, the gates being completely closed, so as to bar the approach at the instant that the cams 22) Veach end of the bridge.

pass out of engagement with the arms l5 or with the friction-rollers at the ends of the arms. It is obvious that by making the chain 18, connecting the casting 17 with the lever 7, having the hook-strap 10,slightly shorter than the chain 18,' connected with the other gatelever, the former may be caused to descend after, and ascend before, the latter, thus timing the operation, so that the hook ll of the strap l0 shall infallibly engage the end ofthe opposite gate-lever.

Thile in the drawings hereto annexed only one approach has been shown, it is obvious that the arrangement of the gates and their operating mechanism is toY be duplicated at I also desire to state that I reserve the right to any changes and modifications in the details of construction of the device herein described which maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. of the Unit-ed States, is

l. The combination, with the double arches spanning the foot-walks of abridge-approach, of the gate-levers pivoted between the outer posts of said arches, substantially as set forth.

2. The combinationof the double arches spanning the foot-walks of the bridge-approach, the gate-levers pivoted between the outer posts of said arches, and the metal strap secured to the end of one of said `gate-levers and adapted to engage t-he end of the other lever for the purpose of locking said levers togelther when lowered, substantially as set fort. 1.

3. The combination of the double arches spanning the foot-walks of a bridge-approach, the gate-levers pivoted between the outer posts of said arches, balance-weights at the outer ends of said levers, the gate-bars susposts at points below the pivotal points of the levers andnearthelcwer ends of said postsand at the corners ofthe abutment, the ends of said' chains being attached to the ends of the casting mounted upon the rock-shaft, and the cam secured under the draw of the bridge, substantially as set forth.

5. In a bridge-guard, the combination of the double arches spanning` the foot-walks ot' the approach, the gate-levers pivoted between t-he outer posts of said arches, guide-pulleys pivoted between said outer posts below the pivotal points ot` the levers and at the lower ends of said posts, which are extended below the pavement, the guide-pulleys at the corners of the abutment, and the chains passing over the several guide-pulleys and connecting the outer ends of the gate-levers with arms eX- tending from a rock-shaft journaled in the abutment, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

V'ILLIAM CHARLES NEVMAN.'

Witnesses:

PETER SEGUIN, SAMUEL L. PRICE. 

